


(day 4) it's the small things

by frillshark



Series: TWDG november drabbles [1]
Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, I just realized I left off the first line for a whole day after I posted this I’m dying squirtle, M/M, f in the chat for lee's brother, i dont know how to end fics properly and it shows, twdgdrabblechallenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 07:50:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21316711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frillshark/pseuds/frillshark
Summary: Day 4 prompt- "Gift"Doug brings back something for Lee after a drugstore supply run.
Relationships: Lee Everett/Doug
Series: TWDG november drabbles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536733
Comments: 17
Kudos: 21





	(day 4) it's the small things

**Author's Note:**

> ah shit here we go again  
This is for stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale's november drabble prompts! You can find them [here](https://stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale.tumblr.com/post/188685687800/twdg-writing-challenge-write-a-drabble-every-day), feel free to check them out!

“What do you have there, Doug?”

Doug jumped at the sudden noise and looked up at Mark, who was walking just a little ahead of him. There was a friendly, good-natured look on his face, but that didn’t stop him from shoving his hand—and the object clenched in it—deeper into his coat pocket.

“It’s- Um, nothing really. Just, uh, a piece of paper,” Doug lied pitifully, taking a sudden interest in the crisp leaves that lined the path.

If it had been anyone else, there would have been no way he’d have gotten away with that terrible of a lie. But this was Mark, and thank god he wasn’t as nosy or paranoid as everyone else, because he just shrugged and said “Oh, I was just curious. Didn’t mean to bother you.”

“It’s fine, Mark.”

It was day seventy-six of the end of the world (yes, he was keeping track, and no, he didn’t understand why nobody else cared enough to do so), and with the rise of the sun came the end of another semi-successful drugstore supply run. Anything edible was scarce as always, but they’d managed to scrape up another dose or two of Larry’s medication, which would be the only thing saving them from Lilly berating them over “not taking their jobs seriously enough.” Normally, Doug wouldn’t even be out on a supply run—it was no secret how nervous being around the walkers made him—but today was different. He had a goal in mind.

A couple nights ago, Lee had finally opened up a little more about his family. It was rare for him to mention details about what his life had used to be like, so when he did it was always a sure sign of trust.

_ “No way did a tree branch actually hit him.” _

_ Lee scoffed. “Hell yeah it did. Could have killed him, too, but he pulled through like a champ,” his eyes got all distant for a moment, as if re-living the memory. _

_ “You know, I think my brother would have liked you,” He said out of the blue, his voice quiet.  
_

_ Doug shifted a little on the motel bed, feeling his arm brush up against Lee’s. “Really?” _

_ “Yeah. He would have thought you were funny.”  
_

_ He laughed for a moment. “Like, good funny or loser funny?” _

_ “Well, what do you think?” Lee teased him right back.  
_

_ There was a pause between them before Doug finally cleared his throat awkwardly. “Hey, uh,” he said hesitantly. “I’m really sorry about what happened to your brother. I was... Kinda insensitive about it.” He remembered watching Lee stare down the reanimated corpse of his own brother from behind the gate, wondering what was taking so long, and flinched. _

_ For a very suspenseful second, Lee was silent. Then, he sat up and placed a gentle hand on Doug’s own slightly shaky one. “It’s fine, Doug. You just didn’t know.” _

It had taken some time for him to think up the idea, and a little longer to work up the courage to commit to it—but now that Doug found himself walking back to the motel, crumpled photo of Lee’s brother in his pocket, he overall felt surprisingly confident. He just really hoped more than anything else that Lee would appreciate it.

But it wasn’t like he could just give it to him the moment he got back, not with everyone still milling about and the whole “Lee-had-a-life-sentence-in-prison” thing being a secret and all. So it was only when the sun was going down and people were starting to head in for the night when he finally found his chance.

“Hey, Lee? Do you have a moment?” Doug quite nearly bolted around the corner of the motel trying to catch up to him, which was probably one of the least inconspicuous things he could have done.

“Oh- Sure, Doug. What’s the matter?” Lee glanced over, a startled look on his face that quickly faded into one of familiarity once he recognized him.

He checked his pocket for the picture one last time, the nerves he’d had at the start of this whole ordeal beginning to come back. “Nothing’s wrong, I just- I just had something for you.” And before he could think twice, Doug tugged the torn photo out from his jacket.

“So, uh, I kept thinking about what you were saying about your brother, and then I remembered seeing a couple photos on the wall when we were in the pharmacy for the first time, which is actually a really specific memory if you think about it! And so I went out this morning on the supply run and found this under, like, two broken shelves-“ Doug’s nervous rambling was abruptly cut off when Lee brought him into a crushing hug. The worry he’d had just moments before melted away, and with a soft sigh he leaned into the embrace.

When Lee finally pulled away, he gingerly took the crumpled photograph with trembling fingers, and for a second Doug genuinely thought Lee was about to start tearing up—Which, in all honesty, would have been kind of terrifying. He’d never seen him cry before, and he didn’t think he ever would.

But then Lee looked back up, a glowing smile on his face. “Thank you, Doug. Seriously, this... This means a lot to me. I didn’t even know this was still there.”

Now it was Doug’s turn to smile nervously. “It wasn’t that big of a deal. I’m just happy that you like it.”

Using utmost care, Lee folded the picture and placed it in his jacket. Then, with just as much deliberation as before, he took Doug’s hands in his own. “You know, Doug? You’re the best guy I could ask for right now, honestly.”

He wasn’t sure if it was possible for him to convey just how much those words meant to him. Voice heavy with feelings he couldn’t fully describe, it was all he could do to say in return “Y-You too, Lee.”


End file.
